Microelectronic devices contain progressively more logic functions in a single integrated circuit device or a system on a chip (SoC). Modern microelectronic devices may include large numbers of gates on a single semiconductor chip, with these gates interconnected so as to perform multiple and complex functions. Such complex devices may require extensive testing to ensure that all of the necessary components perform properly.
With increasing complexity, the cost and complexity of verifying and electrically testing the individual devices and groups of devices in a system also increases. Part of the increased cost and complexity is connected with increasing numbers of functional pins on a device. In some systems, each functional I/O pin must be tested in several different ways and its ability to communicate with I/O pins on other devices must also be tested. Computer architectures with multiple agents, such as, a plurality of caching agents and home agents coupled to a network fabric may require testing for communication between each connected agent. With a master and slave agent, factors that may increase testing complexity include external control for chipset agents, testing register settings for both master and slave agents, and a lack of test standardization for high speed I/O interfaces.